Another thing don't be so sure that MVP would remain SBP President forever, Noli Eala is not shy in saying that he wants to take control of SBP again and with the backing of Ramon Ang of SMC, it is still a probability. Actually the 4-year term of MVP as SBP President ends in the middle of 2012 and there would be an election this year.
Should be interesting if this ever pans out. I'm not surprised if one of the reasons why the SMC Group took in Noli Eala as Director for Sports is that they would want to run the SBP someday if and when MVP decides to finally hand over the reins to another person. There are only two people really capable of running the SBP - only two people that can muster the support of the basketball community. These are MVP and RSA. I don't see anyone who has the logistics, financial capability, and more importantly, political power, to get all stakeholders in the same page except for these two.
But then, I doubt if MVP would give up the SBP leadership mantle at least, in the next two years. I feel that he has penciled himself to another tenure in order to achieve his objective of entering the World Tournament or the Olympics. 2013 would be his best chance when there would be at least 3 teams from Asia representing the continent in the World Tournament. If things don't work there, then that may perhaps be the time when MVP would take stock of everything and consider leaving the SBP.
Eala would obviously be RSA's main guy at the SBP, if ever. Eala won't become President or SBP Head - his personality is just too divisive and won't be able to achieve the unity that the basketball community is yearning for. RSA would obviously be that guy, in case MVP leaves. And Eala would be his point person. He has the connections with the powerful FIBA gods, he has the experience and background to run things, and would also have the financial backing of the SMC conglomerate if ever. And while there may be politics as well in the SMC camp, RSA's personality is not unlike Danding Cojuangco - his mentor. Ang, like Cojuangco, likes to run his group like a MAFIA - where everyone toes the line and those who won't cooperate should leave. The autocratic approach may actually be good for the SBP - as it sets aside the bickering and the politics that normally go with the sharing of the pie and the picking up of the crumbs. Remember when Cojuangco was Project Director for basketball during Marcos' time? He ran the sport like it was his own fiefdom, and those who were intolerant of his ways were shoved aside. That includes Gonzalo "Lito" Puyat, a legislator himself having been elected a Member of the Parliament (MP) or Assemblyman in the 1984 elections representing Manila. Puyat, who ran for the opposition party UNIDO, may have been part of the opposition but would not and could not speak up against Cojuangco. Puyat was also President of the BAP then, and used to be President of the FIBA as well. Note though that his position as FIBA President was merely ceremonial, as the true leader who ran the association was Borislav Stankovic. Yet, despite all these trappings on Puyat, he never spoke up against Cojuangco, his NCC program, and his tight-fisted approach in running the country's basketball program.
But it was also because Cojuangco generated so much success with his program. His national team was victorious in practically all Asian tournaments that they participated in - except for the ill-fated ABC tournament in 1983 when the country was set up to lose by the ABC officials. But they won the Asian Interclub of 1984, the 1985 Jones Cup, the 1986 ABC tournament, and the 1982 Asian Youth, all teams having been supported by ECJ.
MVP's leadership style is not as dictatorial as ECJ or probably RSA's. MVP gets the best people at his side and gives them enough latitude to do things their way. Which is probably the reason why you see several factions in the SBP - the Frankie Lim group, the Gregorio family and the Noli Eala camp. Each one tried to make an impression on MVP, in the process, instead of working like a team, fought against themselves. In the SMC Group, we don't hear similar problems. You see Jong Uichico getting displaced as head coach of BGK and sharing coaching chores with his former assistant Siot Tanquincen, with Tanquincen really manning things, and we didn't hear anything from Uichico - even after he has resigned. We see Allan Caidic being "kicked upstairs" to assistant team manager position from his head coaching job at BGK and we didn't hear Caidic complain. We have Jorge Gallent, giving way to Tim Cone at B-Meg, to quietly accept an assistant coaching job for SMB. And we've heard of Ato Agustin possibly being removed as head coach of Petron had TNT won the grandslam last season, saving his job by doing the unthinkable - beating TNT in a classic 7-game finals series. And of course, we see Eala coming in and taking over the sports mantle of the company, and we don't hear Robert Non or the other guys complaining about Eala's ascent. If ever there were grumblings, these were kept within the confines of the Head Office in Ortigas. But we never heard them complain in public.
I still hope MVP decides to run for reelection and finishes another 4 years. It may be too taxing for the man but you can't help but marvel at his commitment and cause to help the national team. But if ever he decides to give way, then Ramon Ang is the only person capable of replacing him.
